Saturday, February 11, 2012

PLAYING ON FOURTH SHEET SIZES

Just enjoying the colors and playing a bit.

The first one, I just created a cold, icy scene based on a photo in a magazine. Won't do anything with it but was trying to get that cold, iceberg look.

The second one, I used a photo and painted without drawing ahead of time (which is why her head isn't shaped right and her fingers are really badly done!). Oh, well, practice makes perfect and I'd like to be able to draw with my brush and not have to predraw or sketch everything ahead of time - but that's not so easy as you think you have the right shapes and then you don't and you can't fix it as much in watercolor as you can with other mediums.

And faces look really mean and strange without eyes. I think the next time I try a portrait without predrawing, I'll start with the eyes.

You definitely have that icy feel of the 'bergs Rhonda. I expect to see a seal pop up at any moment. :)

For watercolour (or anything) drawing is beneficial. Its your roadmap. For portraits, a must unless you're going for a really loose approach. And you can add to this piece, lift paint, increase depth and get it where you want it to be. Its fun to experiment.

Thanks, Sherry and Jeanette. I know the girl is ugly but was just seeing how bad or good I could do without drawing - maybe I learned my lesson. Sweetie saw it this AM and said, that painting is really ugly (before he knew it was mine)! ha ha Since I know how to draw and am good at erasing, I should stick to that and not try loose faces (yet).

I began my journey with watercolor painting in April 2003, taking weekly lessons for six years before I realized I needed to move on to explore on my own.

I admire the work of so many artists; my sidebar is full of artists who inspire me every day. I also love the freedom of Shirley Trevena, the delicate touch of Ted Nuttall and Hazel Soan, and the power of Mary Whyte. I enjoy visiting art blogs, reading art magazines and watching art DVDs to further my art education and to simply enjoy the beauty that is being created around the world in watermedia these days.

"If you have a burning desire to create art, you will lean into the flame of that desire, rather than shy away from it. You may get burned, or you may enjoy the glowing warmth of success. Whatever the outcome, you will not be able to withstand the pull to create something meaningful, beautiful, and lasting."